Oakland Athletics

BASEBALLAmerican League* Boston Red Sox -- Waived Mike Marshall (first baseman-outfielder) for the purpose of giving him his unconditional release. Recalled Dana Kiecker (pitcher) from Pawtucket of the International League.* Oakland Athletics -- Placed Mike Moore (pitcher) on the 15-day disabled list. Recalled Scott Hemond (infielder) from Tacoma of the Pacific Coast League.

Orioles right-hander Jason Hammel was not particularly good on Thursday night. He struggled with his command, at one point throwing half of his 28 pitches for balls. He ended up with 104 pitches -- and only 59 for strikes. And yet he allowed just three hits, two runs (none earned) and two walks in six innings against the Oakland Athletics -- who led the majors in runs scored and on-base percentage heading into Thursday -- without being on the top of his game. Hammel may not be an ace, but he is the Orioles' No. 1 pitcher.

METS@NATIONALS 7 p.m. [MASN] While you wait for the Orioles' game against the Oakland Athletics (10 p.m., MASN), whet your appetite with this National League East contest. Washington, against which Randy Johnson picked up his 300th win Thursday, is roughly 300 games out of first place.

Not only did the Orioles' 5-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays drop them a game behind the Yankees for first place in the American League East, but the O's also lost a game on the Oakland Athletics in the AL wild-card race. The A's clinched their first playoff spot since 2006 with a 4-3 win over the Texas Rangers, tying the Orioles for the No. 1 wild-card spot with identical 92-68 records. Like the Orioles, the A's still have a shot at their respective division crown. Oakland enters the second-to-last game of the regular season one game behind the division-leading Rangers as the two teams play head to head in the final two games of the season.

BASEBALL zzzzzzzzzzeague * Oakland Athletics -- Placed Rickey Henderson (outfielder) on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to April 12. Optioned Reggie Harris (pitcher) to Tacoma of the Pacific Coast League. Recalled Fred Manrique (infielder) and Brad Komminsk (outfielder) from Tacoma.National League * Chicago Cubs -- Placed Danny Jackson (pitcher) on the 15-day disabled list. Activated Hector Villanueva (catcher) from the 15-day disabled list.

April 2, 1976: The Orioles acquired Reggie Jackson along with Billy Van Bommell and Ken Holtzman from the Oakland Athletics for Don Baylor, Paul Mitchell and Mike Torrez.

BASEBALL (AL) * Milwaukee Brewers -- Placed Candy Maldonado (outfielder) on the 15-day disabled list. Called up Don August (pitcher) from Denver of the American Association.* Oakland Athletics -- Placed Gene Nelson and Eric Show (pitchers) on the 15-day disabled list. Recalled Reggie Harris and Joe Slusarski (pitchers) from Tacoma of the Pacific Coast League.

BaseballOakland Athletics -- Optioned P Reggie Harris (0-0, 12.00 ERA) to Class AAA Tacoma. Recalled IF Fred Manrique from Tacoma.BasketballCleveland Cavaliers -- Placed C Brad Daugherty on injured list. Activated C Milos Babic.HockeyWashington Capitals -- Recalled G Jim Hrivnak from Baltimore (AHL).

Auto racingNASCAR -- Announced that angle of spoilers on Winston Cup cars will be changed from 35 degrees to 45 degrees starting with July 4 race in Daytona, Fla.BaseballDetroit Tigers -- Placed OF Mark Carreon on the 15-day DL, retroactive to Wednesday. Called up P Buddy Groom from Triple-A Toledo.G; Oakland Athletics -- Activated P Bob Welch from the DL.

BaseballOrioles -- Activated P Sid Fernandez from the DL. Optioned OF Damon Buford to Triple-A Rochester.Oakland Athletics -- Optioned P Miguel Jimenez to Triple-A Tacoma. Purchased the contract of IF Mike Brumley from Tacoma. Transferred IF Lance Blankenship from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL.BasketballBoston Celtics -- Announced they would not sign G Todd Lichti for the remainder of the season. Activated C Matt Wenstrom from the injured list.FootballArizona Cardinals -- Signed LB Seth Joyner to a five-year contract.

For the first time since 2005, the Orioles are above .500 in late July. That season, however, the wheels came off right around this time and an abysmal 1-14 stretch from July into early August buried the O's in a grueling American League East. The team finished 74-88 that year. There is still a lot of baseball to be played in 2012 and a bad week could sink the Orioles' ship once again, but at 52-47, the team currently sits in second place in the division and 1 1/2 games behind Oakland for the final wild card spot.

April 2, 1976: The Orioles acquired Reggie Jackson along with Billy Van Bommell and Ken Holtzman from the Oakland Athletics for Don Baylor, Paul Mitchell and Mike Torrez.

OAKLAND, Calif. - -Just a week ago, the Orioles were feeling pretty good about themselves. They had won seven of eight games thanks to solid starting pitching, timely hitting and the contributions of several young players who injected enthusiasm and hope into a clubhouse in need of both. Now, after another blowout loss at the hands of the Oakland Athletics - this one by a 9-4 score Saturday at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum - they appear to be a team in total disarray. Their starters have given up 15 earned runs and gotten just 12 outs over the past two nights, with Jason Berken becoming the latest to falter as he allowed nine earned runs and a franchise-record tying seven doubles in just 3 1/3 innings.

METS@NATIONALS 7 p.m. [MASN] While you wait for the Orioles' game against the Oakland Athletics (10 p.m., MASN), whet your appetite with this National League East contest. Washington, against which Randy Johnson picked up his 300th win Thursday, is roughly 300 games out of first place.

The Orioles made plenty of moves this offseason. There were also national steroid controversies and star free agents holding "Will work for fewer millions" signs. It was a pretty entertaining winter, baseball-wise. But, like the good old days, the New York Yankees dominated the hot-stove season. They did it with big-money signings, a dash of backbiting and the pedestal crash of the game's biggest star. The Yankees are obviously the biggest story this spring, but there are other things to keep an eye on in Florida and Arizona after pitchers and catchers report.

Hours after learning he would be leading the Orioles again in 2009, Dave Trembley witnessed something he had never seen before on a baseball diamond. This is a guy who rode minor league buses for 20 years and managed thousands of bush league games. A guy who on Aug. 22, 2007 - the last time his job security was publicly supported by his front office - watched his Orioles allow 30 runs in one game. And yet the eighth inning of last night's rain-soaked, 11-2 loss to the Oakland Athletics - a defeat that was the Orioles' seventh consecutive and 14th in their past 16 games - made history for Trembley.

ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- It happened within two days on the same road trip, casting an already weary pitching staff to the edge of despair. On April 29, Jaret Wright, the Orioles' No. 3 starter, made it through just three ineffective innings against the Cleveland Indians before the same achy shoulder that has dogged him for much of his career rendered him unable to pitch. On May 1, Adam Loewen, the team's No. 4 starter who appeared poised to have a breakout season, pitched five innings against the Detroit Tigers, but realized that an elbow that had been bothering him for several starts was far more serious than he had originally thought.

Strengths -- High energy. He's very aggressive, runs well and plays good defense. He has a good eye. He won't have better-than-average power, but that's still pretty good. He is a fun guy to watch. Fans will like him because of the way he plays. Comparison -- He reminds me of Eric Byrnes with a better way about him. Byrnes, to me, has always played like his uniform is on fire. With this guy, you don't really get that feeling. Ceiling -- He'll be a pretty good, solid, everyday guy. A contributing player.